Chapter 63 - Class Reunion: He Wanted To Keep Forever (Six)
Chapter 63 - Class Reunion: He Wanted To Keep Forever (Six)
"Shut up!" Vince immediately covered Jake's mouth now that Lloyd came back to their table.
The guy looked at them suspiciously. He asked with curiosity. "What are you guys doing? Are you talking about secrets?"
"No. He has bad breath. So, I was covering his mouth from talking," Vince's lame excuse, causes Jake to burst out laughing.
"Damn! Who eaten a lot tonight? It was you who had a bad breath now."
"Hm..." Vince concurred after he smelled his breath. "I need to go to the washroom."
Jake and Lloyd stared at him with astonishment. The latter phrase, "I think it's a scary thing to be in love."
"Man, I will tell Jessie you said it." Jake threatens Lloyd, who instantly paled from his statement.
"Hey, no kidding! Of course, I am in love with my wife! Well, great timing! My love just texted."
Lloyd found an excuse to dodge his friend's tease. Then, he loudly read the message from his wife Jessie, who is seventh-month pregnant, the reason it was Hazel he brought as his date tonight. Well, the purpose is for Hailey to have a friend accompanying her if Vince will crowd by everyone.
"Jessie texted... She needs... Pineapple? Where could I buy a pineapple at this hour?"
"Try to visit the Metro Public Market. They were still open until midnight. A few stores still open," Vince suggested. He knew, of course.
"Wow, man! Thanks!" Lloyd stood from his chair and walked toward Vince and Jake, tapping their shoulder. "Well, I wanted to continue chatting with you guys, but the boss is waiting home. I need to go... Oh, Hazel! I bet she doesn't want to go home, yet."
"Don't worry, bro. Let me drive her home," Jake offered. However, Lloyd raises a brow and gives him a suspicious stare. "What? Do I look like someone would do something to a teenage girl?"
"I am more suspicious of hearing it from your mouth."
"Hey! What do you think of me?" Jake is defending himself, but Vince chimed in.
"You are a playboy New Yorker."
"You're offending me!"
"Like I didn't know you were sleeping around with different women," Lloyd added.
"I'm single right now. But I'm loyal once I am in a relationship! I only sleep with my girlfriends!"
"See? It's coming from your mouth. I'm taking Hazel home with me."
"Come on, bro!"
Lloyd and Jake continued their argument. Vince decided to leave them alone, excusing himself to go to the washroom. When he came back, Lloyd left already.
Their table is now filled with their other classmates, chatting with Jake. He travels his eyes to look for Hailey, and he found him talking with the French Ambassador, along with Mrs. Gomez and the university President.
Vince sat down, he took the glass of champagne Jake offered him.
"Cheers!" Glasses clank, the men gulp the liquor in one go. Jake poured their glasses again, but this time, Vince only half-emptied his drink, he put down the glass on the table.
"Hey. I saw Eva last week." Jake whispered at Vince. He studied his reaction. And as usual, Vince's expression didn't change when he heard his wife's name. He went on, "She's with her boyfriend. I think he is the same guy back then."
"Hm. Where did you see her?"
"Somewhere in Florida when I visit my sister. What happened to the divorce you are filing?"
"She's hiding from me. Now my lawyers are trying their best to catch her."
"Hah. Why don't you file a lawsuit? You must gather evidence that she is with another man."
"I'm living with someone else now." Vince pointed out, giving Jake a meaningful stare.
"Okay... So you were thinking, Eva has something against you, and that turns out equal to you both? Isn't that also favorable? That is why the divorce must happen as both of you have an affair with someone else."
"Maybe your suggestion is good or correct. But right now, I have another thing to take care of firstly... Remember about the Dream City I told you before? I finally got a project from them!"
"Oh, wow! Congrats, bro! But what will happen then? You will remain married to Eva, and the woman you love remains to have the title of a Mistress? In which case, if only you find her before the marriage..."
"I know..." Vince cut Jake's words. "But things had happened already. I'm just trying to locate Eva to sign the divorce papers. To make things easier for us, I am willing to give her compensation."
"What? No! She doesn't deserve it! Before and after your marriage, she is already living with another man, and you? You were alone all these years... until recently! We are not looking at the picture where it is unfair to you. But Eva should stand on her words to divorce you after two years." He pitied Vince and this guy deserves to be happy. He gave in too much already. Not to mention because he obediently followed his mother's will. Damn!
If it happens to him, his parents would not have a chance to force him. It was Jake's thoughts.
On the other hand, Vince sighed helplessly. Jake is right. And it was his fault why he's the one who suffers now. "It was stupid of me, I did not make her sign an agreement."
And the person he tricks instead to sign an agreement with him is someone he wanted to keep forever.
Vince glanced over in Hailey's direction. She was still talking to the guests. And the way she spoke with them, she looks elegant and carried herself perfectly.
Watching Vince how tender he looks at Hailey, Jake thinks that he should do something about his life. "Just tell me if you need help to locate Eva once you decide to bring court your divorce. I'll gather evidence for you."
Vince turned his head toward Jake. He pursed a smile and uttered, "Thanks, man. I will if I could not force Zenaida to confess, then it's time to do it legally."
"Great! You should do that in the beginning. So then, it's a real wedding I have to attend. And that time, I'm a real best man."
Vince chuckled. Well, he wishes that to happen as well. To hold his real wedding and that time, it would be the woman he loved.
He glances at Hailey but she wasn't there anymore. He found her with Hazel at the Bar Area. "Hazel was still here?"
"Yeah, she stayed. I promised Lloyd to take her home by eleven o'clock," Jake replied innocently. But then, he frowned when Vince shot him a suspicious glare. "Hey, come on! Do you think I'll lay a hand to a teenager?"
"Hazel is Hailey's close friend. I'm just kinda reminding you," Vince told Jake. He and Lloyd are his childhood friends. Somehow, he is familiar with their behavior.
"Jeez... So, I can't date a girl if way younger than me?" Jake rolled his eyes, mumbling.
"That depends. If it has parental consent."
Jake mouthed, "Ouch. I forget our country was still this semi-conservative."
"I object. If I have a younger sister the same age as Hazel, I would not allow her to date even if it says my best friend."
"What's wrong with that?" Jake pouted. He is frustrated with the way Vince treats him.
Anyway, he understood why Vince set his mind this way. He has two younger sisters. May both are now married, but the Shen's had a bad experience with the youngest daughter.
Vienna Shen is an extremely beautiful and intelligent rising fashion icon. However, she got pregnant at the age of eighteen years old. It happens when the teenage girl joins an island-hopping with their trusted family friend.
In the end, the guy runs away because he is afraid of the responsibility, and he wants to remain single forever and pick up a new girl after another. It was a huge scandal for the Shen family, the reason Vienna flew to Paris six years ago, and she never came back to P Country.
A perfect family doesn't often end up perfectly. He mused. Thinking about it, Jake dropped the topic and joined their classmates, conversing about their college days.